1987 Was The Manliest Year In Film

It's 30 Years Since Hollywood Created The Blueprint For The Modern Man

You may not have noticed at the time (or even been alive), but 30 years ago, Hollywood inadvertently created the blueprint for the modern man. Over 12 months in 1987, every cornerstone of modern masculinity was resculpted and – dare we say it – perfected on the big screen.

This was the year that Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg redefined the modern father. When bromance blossomed between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. It was in 1987 that James Bond got dark, Kiefer Sutherland got bleached and Baby got extracted from the corner by a man whose hips did all the talking.

So, the next time you find yourself at one of life’s crossroads, ask yourself: What would Patrick Swayze have done? Or Inigo Montoya? Or Robocop? The 1987 playlist below is one long lesson in manhood, and if you haven’t seen any of these films, get to your chosen online streaming service immediately.

Predator

The Terminator is a better film but this is arguably peak Arnold – his biceps more bulbous, the whole film soaked in more testosterone. Released during the golden age of Arniewood, the film also showcases the manliest handshake in history, between the Austrian Oak and Carl Weathers (aka Apollo Creed himself). The machismo is practically electric as they clasp hands and bettered only by professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, playing wounded teammate Blain, who declares he “ain’t got time to bleed”. The Rock wouldn’t exist in a universe where Predator hadn’t been made.

Three Men and a Baby

When it comes to fatherhood we all want to be the best. And, by following the leads of Messrs Selleck, Danson and Guttenberg in Three Men and a Baby, you won’t need a book on how to be father of the year. They change nappies, keep a tidy apartment, balance careers, master lullabies, skillfully dodge drug dealers and even manage to make us all cry – all in the space of 102 minutes. Yes, women have been managing that balancing act for decades but this film – and the equally-excellent sequel Three Men and a Little Lady – paved the way for today’s stay-at-home dads.

Lethal Weapon

Forget Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in Point Break. Cast aside Paul Rudd and Jason Segel slapping da’ bass in I Love You, Man. And tell the boys from Superbad to do one, because this is the classic – and still the best – movie bromance. Before they got too old for this shit, Riggs and Murtagh were the cop partners who bonded over a mutual appreciation of each other’s mustache and mullet (and not doing things by the book, of course). But it goes much deeper than that – the pair actually couldn’t live without each other. As the three sequels – each one less warranted than the last – proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Dirty Dancing

Like Travolta and Bacon before him, Patrick Swayze knew that real men break the rules, particularly the one that says, “Men don’t dance”. We’ve all tried the final lift, where Patrick Swayze cements his manhood and dancing ability by hoisting Jennifer Grey’s Baby above his head. Sadly, our efforts take place in a swimming pool and end with us watching on in horror as our significant other lands face first in the water, before re-emerging looking both surprised and furious. No-one puts Baby in the swimming pool face first. Or, indeed, in the corner, for that matter.

The Lost Boys

Take out the murder and bloodsucking, and Kiefer Sutherland’s crew of vampires are the epitome of cool. Oozing machismo every time they appear, thanks to a mix of incredible hair, fantastic leather jackets and the kind of cocksure swagger even Donald Trump would say is ‘a little much’, the titular Lost Boys are the real heroes of Joel Schumacher’s masterpiece.

It also helps that Sutherland’s ‘David’ can turn noodles into worms and rice into maggots in the blink of an eye. Ultimately, ‘heroes’ Jason Patrick and Corey Haim resist the call and defeat the group. You can’t help thinking they made the wrong call.

Robocop

Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop is ultra-violent, has enough blood to feed Kiefer and his lost mates, and features robots having a good kill. The term ‘popcorn flick’ is apt for those nice Transformers films but for Robocop the term should be: ‘beer and pizza film of awesomeness and explosions and hands getting shot off and a bit of emotion and a man saying boner’. Robocop rules and will have you high-fiving to death far more than is acceptable. Honestly, you try not getting amped up when Murphy gets done in by the villain’s cronies.

The Living Daylights

Timothy Dalton wasn’t everyone’s glass of Vodka Martini as James Bond, but he added grit and aggression to a character that had descended into camp-ness and absurdity by the time Sir Roger Moore hung up his Walther PPK. The Living Daylights isn’t the greatest of the Bonds (probably just scrapes top 10) but it’s an honest portrayal of a dark character almost 20 years before Daniel Craig got plaudits for his moody 007 came along. He even avenges 004’s death before getting the girl – mates before dates, after all.

Full Metal Jacket

In the super-masculine world of the military – where it’s all shouting, shooting, and soldiers together – poor old Private Pyle is utterly lost. More man-baby than trained killer, Pyle’s a sensitive soul and not cut out for the kind of testosterone-fuelled aggression he’ll need to survive the training (be fair, the kind of bloke who smuggles a secret stash of jam doughnuts isn’t likely to club anyone to death). In the age of Schwarzenegger and Stallone, here was an unlikely character to root for in a male-dominated movie – coping with emotional anxiety and trying to fit in with the more popular boys. And no amount of being walloped with a pillowcase full of soap bars is going to make that any easier. It doesn't end well, of course, but the point was well made.

The Princess Bride

Not only notable for its dashing mustaches and knee-high leather boots (the absolute height of manliness in your bog standard medieval fantasy world), The Princess Bride is essentially a fairy tale for men. Alright, it sounds quite girly, but the real heart of the story is in its father-son, or even grandfather-grandson relationships, with master swordsman Inigo Montoya seeking revenge against his father’s murderer, and the whole adventure playing out as a literal bedtime story with Columbo – alright Peter Falk – reading the story to his grandson.